Those who own pooches are being encouraged to bark up the right tree by making sure their dog registrations get done.
Dog registrations are due by July 31. After this time, a penalty may apply to late registrations and an owner of an unregistered dog can receive an infringement notice of up to $300.
Rotorua Lakes Council's animal control team lead Dylan Wright says as of July 14 this month, 6368 dogs had been registered for the 2021/2022 year.
"At the end of June we were up on last year's registrations, so we're tracking better than last year."
Reminder texts are now being sent to owners who are yet to register their dogs, he says.
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Advertise with NZME.Dylan says registration fees help cover the cost of providing dog control services in Rotorua, and registration can also help reunite a dog with its owner if lost or stolen.
"To avoid queues and save time, we encourage residents to use our online dog registration services at www.rotorualakescouncil.nz/dogs.
"However, payment by phone or internet banking is still available if required."
Residents can call council on (07) 348 4199 and its customer advisors will be able to assist with this. Payment can also be made in person at council.
"The dog population grows every year, and we now have over 12,000 known dogs in the district.
"Our records show the top five most common breeds in Rotorua are labrador, border collie, huntaway, greyhound, and fox terrier."
Updating owner/dog records, updating contact details, advising council if a dog has passed away, or requesting a replacement dog tag can also all be done online.
More information about dog registration, what the registration fee covers, and animal control services is available at the council website.
